The Wheel Turns
by David Alan Abramczyk
Summary: Since it was first built many years ago, the Hinatasou has been a nexus for mysterious happenings and dark secrets. Now, something is waking. Something ancient, and dangerous.......
1. Reveille

**The Wheel Turns...**

A "Love Hina" Fan fiction by David Alan Abramczyk.

**Disclaimer: "Love Hina" is the property of Ken Akamatsu. All names, places and events named within this story are fictitious, and any similarities are co-incidental.  
**

* * *

Springtime in the Hinata District of Tokyo is one of those times when simply breathing the air made you feel good to be alive. The fresh green shots of young plants, and the scent of the Sakura, or cherry blossoms, combined to make the Hot Springs resort one of the most popular tourist locations in all of Japan.

The peaceful slumber of this early morning was not to last, though. Suddenly, the air was rent by a scream, and the sound of wood smashing, as Keitaro Urashima, three-time ronin of Tokyo University, manager of the Hinata-sou Girls Dormitory, and favoured plaything of Fate, was once again sent into Low Earth Orbit by the fist of Naru Narusegawa, a tenant of the Hinata-sou, fellow ronin, and on-again/off-again romantic interest of Keitaro Urashima.

The flight path of the unfortunate _kanrinin_ was observed not only by Naru, but also by the raven-haired _kendo-ka_ Motoko Aoyama, as she meditated on the laundry deck after performing her customary 1000 strikes of her katana Shisui.  
_'What was Granny Hina thinking when she made that lecherous male the manager? It does not matter that he is her grandson, there is no place for a man at the Hinata-sou!'_ she thought, her features distorting into a frown. For a moment, she considered hunting Urashima and striking him down, but she stopped, as an image of Keitaros' goofy, warm-hearted smile came to her mind. With a growl of frustration, Motoko shook her head and rose to her feet. Her nose told her that Shinobu, the resident cook of the Hinata Apartments, was starting to prepare breakfast, and that she had to be quick before Su, the hyper-active genius of the Hinata-sou gobbled it all up.

* * *

Not too far away, in the local park, the unfortunate landlord of the Hinata-sou strained with all his might to get out of a large tree he had landed in. This was made more difficult by the fact that his head was trapped inside a hollow of the tree, and that a squirrel was nibbling at his hair. Around the park, which was mostly in shadow, the sun had yet to disperse the fog of the night. Out of this mist, stepped three of the mysterious Town Elders, who silently watched Keitaro struggle.

"The wheel turns..." One of them said.

The second one spoke. "When one door closes-"

"-Another opens." finished the third.

All of a sudden, a wind blew for a moment, stirring up the mist. A fourth figure joined the Elders, his face masked by the fog.

"But only if you have the key..." the figure said softly, his words flavoured slightly by a faint Dutch accent. The figure slowly strolled out of the fog, revealing a man of average height wearing a grey suit and brown fedora, and made his way over to the tree that Keitaro was trapped in.

"Hey, are you all right?" The man asked as he helped the dazed ronin safely down to the ground. "And how did you end up in that tree, anyway?"

"It's a long story..." Keitaro groaned as he shook his head. Looking up at his rescuer, he performed a spectacular double take.

"Donald?"

* * *

Motoko paused in mid-step as she felt something. Attuned as she was to the flow of ki, she sensed a change. For an instant, the fresh salty tang of the sea filled her nose, and the cry of seagulls filled her ears. "The wind of change..." she said to herself softly. Shinobu then called out that breakfast was ready, and Su charged past, knife and fork already in hand. Shaking her head slightly, Motoko made her way to the breakfast table.

Keitaro and Donald were sitting, deep in conversation, in a local ramen shop, and each had a steaming bowl of miso ramen in front of them.

"So, that's why I've come to Japan." Donald finished, bobbing his head slightly as he clumsily used his chopsticks to scoop up his noodles.

"So, aside from that, Donald, how've you been doing? I haven't heard from you in ages." Keitaro said.

"Yes, well... To be honest, I've have a fairly rough couple of months." Donald said, primly supping up his soup. "I've been in and out of hospital, because of my... condition."

Seeing Keitaro jump at that last word, Donald raised his eyebrow, and his mouth quirked into a half-smile. "Don't get you knickers in a twist, Kei. I only developed a slight allergy to human contact, I didn't catch Influenza."

"A-A-allergy? To human contact?" Keitaro asked, disbelievingly. Donald nodded.

"It's true. I break out in an itchy rash at as much as a handshake. Go figure." he said.

"Any road, that's why I wear these gloves." he added, and showed Keitaro his hands, which were covered by a pair of cotton gloves. "I had to be discharged from the RN because of my allergy." Donald said, becoming glum as he looked at his hands. "My family have been sea-dogs since the days of Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada. And now? Just like that, 500 years of naval tradition dies with me, because I can bare no heirs..."

"Hey, don't get so down..." Keitaro said, his kind nature coming to the fore as always.

"M'yeah, I know... But you understand where I'm coming from, right?" Donald sighed, puffing out his cheeks. "Anyway, changing the subject, how've you been, Kei? Still gunning for Tokyo University, and your 'promise girl'?"

"Yeah, even though I've failed three years running." Keitaro sighed. "Sometimes, I can't help but wonder, Don. Does that little girl still remember me? Or our promise?"

Oh, I'm sure that she does, my friend." Donald smiled, patting Keitaro on the shoulder. "In fact, for all you know, she might be right under your very nose...," he said, tapping his left index finger against the mentioned organ.

"_Nani?_ What do you mean, Donald?"

"Eh? Oh, forgive me." Donald said. "The ramblings of an older man."

"So level with me, Keitaro." he continued, changing the subject. "Is it true you manage an all girls dormitory?"

"_What?!_ How did you know that?" Keitaro spluttered. This time, Donald snorted with open mirth.

"You know, Keitaro, We've known each other, what, sixteen, seventeen years now? We both know you have a heart as large as a mountain, but a brain as dense as a stone. But surely even you can figure it out, right?"

Keitaro grimaced and coloured slightly at that comment. Donald, realising that he might have gone just a little too far this time, raised his gloved hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Hey, relax, I'm just kiddin' ya', man." he said, rising to his feet. Strolling over to the counter, Donald handed over a travellers' cheque for ten American Dollars.

* * *

"Hey, Donald, how'd you like to come over and visit all my friends at the Hinata Apartments?" Keitaro asked unexpectedly.

"Oh, that's jolly kind of you, Keitaro. It would be a pleasure to meet your friends." Donald smiled, and so the two set off.

Keitaro moved silently as he lost himself in thought, but his train of thought was derailed by a faint but persistent _clink, clink, clink _sound every time Donald took a step. Seeing his expression, Donald shrugged

"Well, it's either having steel plates on the soles of my shoes, or having bad ankles for the rest of my life." Keitaro just sighed and moved on.

* * *

Soon, the two men had arrived at the foot of the long flight of stairs that led up to the Hinata-sou. As he looked up, Donald tipped his fedora back and whistled one long note. "Impressive."

"Yeah... I just hope the girls like you." Keitaro replied, a worm of worry gnawing at his insides.

"Well, let's not dilly-dally!" the Englishman said, clapping his hands together and striding up the steps. Swallowing slightly, Keitaro followed just behind Donald, worrying about how the girls would react.

"I'm home..." Keitaro called, as he took his shoes off and walked in. Just as quickly, he flew back out again, as Kaolla Su greeted him with her customary kick to the head.

"Hiyas Keitaro!"

"Ye Gods!" Donald said, shocked. Su looked up, and beamed at Donald.

"Keitaro who is your friend?" she asked, leaping up to sit on Donald's shoulders.

"No, wait Su!" Keitaro shouted. But it was too late. With a yelp, Donald tossed Su off his shoulders, and began tearing up as huge angry red splotches covered his face and neck.

"_S-S-Sempai_? Who is this?" the young blue haired girl known as Shinobu Maehara asked nervously, as she saw the European man glare angrily at Su.  
Taking a deep breath, Donald calmed his shattered nerves, and bowed, doffing his fedora. "How do you do? My name is Donald Johannsen, an old friend of Keitaro. It is a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

**To be continued...**

**If you are able to, please read and review, and give me your thoughts.**

**I'dalso like to give a shout out to my pre-reader _"Dark Jedi Princess"_, for taking time out to read my work. Thanks!**


	2. FALL IN!

**CHAPTER 2 **

**"FALL IN!"**

**Disclaimer: "Love Hina" is the property of Ken Akamatsu. All names, places and events named within this story are fictitious, and any similarities are co-incidental.**

* * *

Inside the Hinata Apartments, a full-scale interrogation was taking place in the common room. The subjects under the spotlight, Keitaro Urashima and his British penfriend Donald Johannsen, squirmed fruitlessly against their bonds as they sat tied up on the floor. Looming over them, with expressions of cold fury, were Naru and Motoko, who looked as though they were itching to pummel the two hapless men into sticky, red goo.

"Nice company you keep here, Keitaro." Donald commented dryly, as he looked up at the glowering pair of girls. "They remind me of my old instructor back when I was a recruit." He began to chuckle, but was cut off by a Katana blade just touching his throat. The look in Motokos' eye made her look very much like Queen Victoria, as in 'We are not amused'. Quietly swallowing, Donald fell silent.

"So, _baka_, would you care to explain who this is?" Naru asked, with a frighteningly calm voice.

"What is there to say? This is one of Urashimas' _hentai_ friends!" Motoko said, causing Donald to sweat.

"Er, what's a hentai?" he muttered to Keitaro. Keitaro looked at Donald, but then stopped when Motoko began to suggest things to do to the pair of them. Keitaro panicked, and Donald simultaneously paled and went a sickly green colour.

"I say, steady on!" the Englishman protested. "What did I do to deserve this rather rough handling?"

Keitaro shuddered as the girls towered over both of them. "I'm sorry! I was going to tell you yesterday but then Kitsune asked me to get her some more sake and then Su tested her new Mecha-Tama on me when I was coming back..." he began to babble in terror. Donald raised his eyebrow as Keitaro gibbered.

As Donald looked around, seemingly forgotten by Naru and Motoko, he spotted a stately brunette woman around his age enter the common room, with a cigarette drooping from the corner of her mouth.  
"What's going on here, Naru?" she asked disinterestedly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Aunt Haruka! You hav-"THWACK  
"Just call me 'Haruka', Keitaro." she said to the slightly stunned nephew she had just hit with a newspaper. Donald just boggled at her.

_'What sort of a madhouse have I walked into here?'_ he thought, hardly noticing Haruka release him from his bonds.

"So, Keitaro mentioned that you were coming to visit." she said, helping him up.

"Indeed..." Donald replied, scratching the back of his head. "Although I would have preferred the introductions to have gone a bit smoother."

Donald turned to face Naru and Motoko and bowed, removing his fedora as he did so.  
"As you can work out, ladies, I am Keitaro's penfriend Donald Johannsen. I apologise for any inconvenience I have caused by my appearance, but I have only recently arrived in Japan when I encountered your manager up a tree in a local park." he said, in accented Japanese. Keitaro was freed from his bonds as Donald rose from his bow, and hurriedly began to explain further, moving around and waving his arms for emphasis.

Suddenly Keitaro froze, and his face paled. As he'd been speaking and moving, his hand had caught on Motokos' kimono. Spotting this, both girls turned red with fury, Haruka said "Oh brother." and Donald dived behind the sofa, shouting "HIT THE DECK!" as he took cover. After several moments of screaming and explosions, Donald looked up from his cover at the huge hole in the ceiling. He couldn't say a word about the unfortunate incident that had just occurred, except for one thing.

"Was that a ki strike?"

* * *

Feeling something vibrate in his pocket, Donald drew out his pager and took a look. His placid face seemed to harden with resolve, and he marched outside, his mobile phone in his hand. He answered the call, but started walking again off towards the hills behind the Hinata-sou, feeling a slim bulge under his left shoulder with his right hand. Reaching into his jacket, Donald drew out a classic .32 Walther PPK pistol and cocked it on his trouser leg.

"Is it confirmed, Command? If this is a wild goose chase, I'm not going to be happy." he growled.

_"Negative, Papa-Mike-zero-seven. We have confirmation of Sierra-Novembers in your area."_

"Understood, Command. Commencing recon and running silent. Will call in once area is ascertained. Over and out."

Donald snapped his mobile phone shut and pocketed it. Taking note of the now rough terrain, he grabbed a solid tree branch to lean on. Soon, the trees thinned out into a clearing by a rock face. Even someone unattuned to the flow of ki could sense that there was something wrong about this place. Not for the first time, he cursed for not bringing his sword.

The sense of wrongness grew stronger as he spotted a cave entrance that had had thick wooden boards somewhat hap-hazardly nailed over it. Applied onto the boards was a piece of paper that looked very old and weather beaten. There was something written on the paper but time and the elements had left it almost illegible.

"Probably should have the chaps back at HQ take a look at this." Donald said, opening his phone. The number he dialled was for somewhere in the UK, and the Caller ID read **HMS Kilburn**.

"Command, this is Papa-Mike-zero-seven. I've located the source of the anomalous readings, I'm pxt-ing you the image now, have the high-IQ boys look it over, Stand by."

_"Understood, Papa-Mike-zero-seven. Standing by."_

Donald nodded, and rotated the phone to take a photograph. Shutting one eye, he sighted the phone as if it were a pistol.  
Click  
Within a few moments, the image was on its' way to Blighty.

"Have you got it, Command?"

_"Copy that, Papa-Mike-zero-seven, we got it."_

"Good-" Donald suddenly paused as the hair on the back of his neck rose. Someone, or something was watching him. Fearing what he might find, he turned around and saw-

"Myuh!"

A flying turtle. Furthermore, a flying turtle that was waving a friendly hello. Very slowly, Donald raised his phone back to his ear.

"Command, could you answer me this question seriously? Do I sound like I'm either drunk or high?"

_"...Negative, Papa-Mike-zero-seven. You sound normal. Why?"_

"Because," Donald said, "There is a turtle in front of me that is flying like a helicopter, and its waving hello."

Silence from the other end. Feeling very foolish, Donald waved hello back. The turtle seemed to smile happily, and then flew and landed on his shoulder.

_"Papa-Mike-zero-seven, this is Command, you're done. Withdraw to your normal position, over."_

"Roger Command, over and out." Donald said, ending the call. Putting the phone back in his pocket, and holstering the Walther, he walked away from the rock face, and back to the Hinata-sou.

* * *

Unnoticed behind him, on the boarded up cave entrance, a corner of the piece of paper came away from the old planks...

* * *

** To be continued.  
**

**Comments are the lifeblood of any author, please, give generously...**


	3. Commencing Operations

**"LOVE HINA: THE WHEEL TURNS" **

** Chapter Three: Commencing Operations  
**

**Disclaimer: "Love Hina" is owned by Ken Akamatsu. I wish I owned it, but I don't, so there.**

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* * *

Motoko Aoyama meditated in the small shrine on the Hinata grounds. Outwardly tranquil, with her blade before her as she sat _seiza_-style, inwardly her mind was far from peaceful. Top-most in her thoughts was, as always, Keitaro Urashima. The foul male had gone too far this time, in her opinion, inviting that Westerner to the Apartments. Still, she granted slightly, the man in question, that _Donarudo Yohansen_, was not unaware of Japanese values, and indeed had not been the crass, boorish _gaijin_ she was expecting. Nonetheless, it was still possible that he was a pervert like other men were, and that she needed to be wary of him.

As she sought her centre, Motoko became aware of a presence slowly making its way towards her. She barely managed to identify it before a yelp shook her from her meditation. Opening her eyes, she growled in frustration once more as she saw Donald slowly lever himself up off the stone garden, shaking his head to clean off most of the sand and pebbles. Looking behind him, she heard him say, in a very bemused voice, "Who put that tree there?"

* * *

Mitsune Konno, known to her friends as 'Kitsune', made her way to the shrine where Motoko was meditating. Naru was busy studying like a demon for next years Toudai exams, but had wanted to ask the kendoka about something. Kitsune hadn't wanted to, as she still had a hangover from the previous night, but Naru had persuaded her to. As she walked towards the shrine entrance, though, she spotted a man she hadn't seen before picking himself off the ground and dusting himself off.

_'My, haven't seen you around here before...'_ the fox-lady thought, _'and you're a bit of a cutie, too...'_ She began to study the man more closely. His clothes, although slightly dusty, looked of good quality, and had obviously been well taken care of. He was clean-shaven, and his brown leather shoes were brightly polished, indicating that maybe he was, or had been, a senior military-type. She was just starting to wonder about getting to know this man better when she saw Motoko rise to her feet angrily, and draw her Katana.

* * *

Several choice Dutch curses escaped Donald's' lips as Motoko began to charge at him. He spun on his feet, and ran the other way as Motoko drew her Katana back.

**"SECRET TECHNIQUE: AIR SPLITTING SWORD!"** she yelled, and sent a wave of ki blasting towards the Englishman. Donald tried to jump clear, but one foot was caught by the very edge of the vortex, and he was spun around like a top. By the time he regained his bearings, the enraged Shin Mei student was almost upon him. Darting his eyes left and right, he saw that there was no way out, except one...

Motoko sliced down with her sword, ready to rid the world of this male once and for all.

On sheer instinct, Donald rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. "Oh, bloody hell! I'm out of here!" he yelped, and threw up a cloud of dust as he ran, Motoko close on his heels. He started praying very, very fast that some sort of miracle would occur.

Keitaro was making his way around the side of the Apartments when he heard an all too familiar sound, of Motoko screaming in rage, and someone fleeing in terror. He looked up to see Donald running pell-mell towards him.

"What's wrong, Dona-" Kei began to say, but was interrupted when the frightened man grabbed him.

"Sorry, Kei, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and unlike you, I'm not indestructible!" he heard Donald say, and then, he was being hurled bodily at the charging Motoko. Keitaro whimpered. This was going to be nasty...

Donald risked a peek behind him as Keitaro screamed, and saw the landlord take to the skies, breathing out in relief as he saw that the coast was clear, he slowed down. When the turtle on his shoulder 'Myuh'ed questioningly, he shrugged.

"I'm a good fighter, true, but even I know that going up against someone like her would be suicide. I'm a survivor, me. Honour and all that doesn't mean anything if you're six feet under."

* * *

As he exited the premises, he took a tube of ointment from his pocket and removed his gloves. Smearing the cream onto his fingers, Donald rubbed it onto the inflammation on his face and necks, sighing with relief as the maddening itch died down. As he put the cream away and re-donned his gloves, he began to hum to himself. After a moment, the words were audible as a slightly off-key rendition of the title track to a James Bond film.

_"Nobody does it better,  
Makes me feel sad for the rest..."_

With a chuckle, he patted the turtle on his right shoulder, who 'Myuh'd with happiness. Feeling much better now, and not being chased by mad women wielding swords, he made his way back down the steps intending to head back to his own apartment, down in the town itself.

_'If I have to encounter that trigger-happy Aoyama woman again, I'd better keep my blade handy,'_ he thought seriously, as he began to walk down the steps. _'Thank the heavens that not all Aoyamas are barking mad. Her sister, for one...'_

As his mind was elsewhere, what happened next was only to be expected, as he misjudged the next step. "Whoops!" he said, hopping around on one foot, trying to regain his balance. Thankfully, he managed to grab the handrail and steady himself. "Phew, that was a close one," Donald sighed. "I'd have looked a prized prat if I'd gone for a Burton."

"Myuh?"

"Never mind." Donald replied, as he made his way down the steps.

* * *

Keitaro was helping Shinobu clean up the breakfast things, when Kitsune walked into the kitchen with a thoughtful expression. "Oh, Shinobu, would you mind if I borrowed our manager for a teensy, tiny moment?" she asked the blue-haired girl.

"Uuuuhm... All right..." Shinobu said uncertainly. Kitsune gave her one of her trademark foxy smiles, and almost dragged Keitaro out to the common room.

"All right, Keitaro, tell me about your friend Donald." She said, her usually playful manner replaced by one much more serious.

"What do you mean, Kitsune?" Keitaro asked, puzzled. When he saw the look in Kitsunes' opened eye, he gulped. The look said that if he didn't tell, he could kiss several months rent from her goodbye, and possibly receive another 'Naru Punch'. Very, very quickly, he began to talk.

* * *

Reaching the foot of the long staircase, Donald paused to get his bearings. "You want something to eat?" he asked the turtle on his shoulder

"Myuh! Myuh!" the little amphibian agreed.

"All right, let's off, then- OOOOOPH!" Donald exclaimed, as he accidentally walked into someone.

"Oh, I beg your par- Yeeerghk!" he said, suddenly seeing a young woman lying on the pavement, as still as death itself. She was dressed in a long sleeved green blouse and a brown smock, with sensible shoes. As Donald began to panic, the turtle on his shoulder suddenly landed on top of the girls head, and 'Myuh'ed a few times. Suddenly, she sat up, making Donald leap backwards in fright.

"My name is Mutsumi Otohime..." The girl, apparently named Mutsumi, mumbled a few times, before suddenly looking up.

"Oh my... I'm sorry, I must have fainted again." she said.

"Fainted? _FAINTED?!_ You were clinically dead!!!" Donald babbled, feeling a few screws come loose in his head. Turning around, Donald shut his eyes and tried to get a grip on himself. "Okay... Are you all right, Miss Otohime?" he asked, turning back to face Mutsumi. He froze as she touched the side of his face, but silently thanked that he'd applied that ointment earlier. "Ah... What are you doing? Mi- YAARK!"

His exclamation was cut off as Mutsumi pressed her lips against his own. Descending into panic once more, Donald waved his arms up and down at high speed, and made muffled protestations against this savaging of his dignity.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was in fact only a few seconds, Mutsumi released Donald, who was now swirly eyed from lack of air. "Strawberries..." he said weakly, before pitching over to one side.  
"Oh my, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Mutsumi said, helping the now pale Englishman to his feet. "It must be something in the air."

"Think nothing of it, Miss Otohime..." Donald said. "It's nice to make your acquaintance. My name is Donald Johannsen. I see that this little turtle and you are well acquainted." he added, as he walked Mutsumi back to her apartment.

"Of course I know Tama-chan." Mutsumi smiled, petting the turtle. "I gave it to Kei-kun and Na-chan when we travelled together after the Tokyo U exams."

Donald stopped in mid-step, his mind racing.

_'Kei-kun? Na-chan? I've heard those before somewhere, but where...'_

* * *

_ 15 years ago..._

_14-year-old Donald (Donny) Johannsen rushed home from school, the weekend upon him. The letter from his penfriend Keitaro sat on the kitchen table, and was swiftly opened. Donny smiled boyishly as he read about Kei's adventures with "Na-chan" and "Mu-chan". Even though he was many thousands of miles away from, and nine years older than Kei, he could feel the young Japanese boys' youthful joy through the paper...  
_

* * *

Coming back to himself, Donald stared open mouthed at the willowy brunette he was accompanying. _'Could you really be Mu-chan, from all those years ago?'_ he wondered. Deciding to take the bull by the horns, he geared himself up to speak, when Mutsumi passed out again.

"Oh, for the love of-" Donald groused, raising his eyes to the sky. "Hey, wait. I recognise this place- Well I'll be a monkeys' uncle..." he continued, suddenly seeing a grand cosmic irony developing. Mutsumis' apartment was in the same block as Donalds'. Rifling through her purse, Donald found her key. He snorted with laughter as he read the number. It was three doors down the hall from his own apartment. He packed away all her things, then picked her up in a fireman's' lift, and walked into the building.

* * *

Kitsune raised her eyebrow as she watched Donald carry the girl into the apartment complex. This, and the facts that she had wheedled out of Keitaro, meant that she was intrigued more and more by this austere-seeming Englishman. _'Well, Mister Navy officer, you've certainly caught my eye...'_ thought the fox to herself, as she slinked away.

* * *

Motoko and Naru sat on the roof of the Hinata-sou, and looked out over the city to the sea. "So, what are we going to do about this?" Naru asked

"We have to find out what that male is up to, then confront him about it." Motoko said firmly. "We should ask Su for help."

As if on cue, the girl in question appeared. "Hiyas Motoko, Naru!" she gushed.

"Su, could you do us a favour?" Naru asked. "Could you find out everything you can about Keitaros friend?"

Su agreed, after being bribed with a bunch of bananas, and bounced away, leaving the ronin and the samurai with satisfied smiles.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**I'd like to thank everyone who helped me bash this chapter into shape. As always, read and review, please. **


	4. Standby to Repel Boarders!

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Love Hina", so there._**

**_Chapter 4: "Stand by to repel boarders!"_**

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* * *

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A week had passed since the mysterious Donald Johannsen had entered the lives of the tenants of the Hinata-Sou, and things were still a little tense. Something had to give, but when it did, it came from a most unlikely source.

Early on Saturday morning, Shinobu was preparing breakfast as usual when there was a knock on the door. When she opened the door, she saw the postman was carrying a long, thin object wrapped in many layers of brown paper. Strangely, there were a couple of police officers accompanying him.

"Can... Can I help you?" the young cook asked nervously, for a moment fearing that Naru and Motoko had brought them here to arrest her _sempai_. The two officers introduced themselves, and then said something that suprised the young teen. They asked for Naru, saying that there was a... a sensitive package for her.

Once Shinobu had roused the tan-haired woman, the postman got the signature for his registered delivery, and handed the package over. The two police officers stayed, and began to discuss the mysterious package with Naru as she unwrapped whatever it was.

Keitaro was walking down the stairs, yawning and scratching the back of his head as Naru took the final layer of paper off. He was about to say "Good Morning" to everyone when he screamed, and fled back up the stairs. It was understandable, really, seeing as Naru was now holding a sleek, powerful-looking bolt-action rifle in her hands, with a wickedly sharp sword bayonet on the table.

Naru looked at the police officers. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

"A mass grave in the Burmese jungle. Looked like a company of IJA soldiers were ambushed by 'Chindits' and wiped out. We've spent the last few years DNA testing the bodies. We regret to say, Miss Narusegawa, that one of the bodies was that of your Great-Uncle. We found him still clutching this rifle in death."

* * *

Breakfast was an interesting affair, as Keitaro tried to stay as far away from Naru as possible, as she was still cradling that rifle in her lap. Motoko for her part kept casting glances at the gun, with a poker-face. Su seemingly hoovered up her plate then bounded up to her room to work on her new invention.

The tension suddenly broke when the telephone rang. Motoko rose and answered it.

_"Moshi Moshi?"_

A moment later, she squeaked in suprise.

"S-s-s-s-s-sister!"

At this, everyone present stopped what they were doing, and began to listen, as the usually stoic kendo student seemed to turn into a pale, quivering jelly as her sister spoke to her.

'I didn't know Motoko had a sister.' Keitaro thought to himself, as Motoko hung up, and almost ran out of the kitchen. "Mo-Motoko?" he called out after her.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the train station in Tokyo..._

A pair of young men, one tall and moderately good-looking, the other short and chubby, were standing on the train for Hinata, when they saw an absolutely gorgeous woman dressed in a hakama and gi embark at the other door of the coach, a broad-brimmed straw hat shading her eyes and a great bird perched on her shoulder.

"Do you see what I see, Haitani?" Shirai Kimiaki asked, his eyes bulging slightly and a slight trickle of drool running from the corner of his mouth. "She's an absolute babe..."

Haitani nodded, wide eyed as they approached the gorgeous woman, who was looking at the station board. Shirai cleared his throat.

"Excuse me miss, but is there any thing we can help you with?" he asked gallantly. The woman smirked at them both, and looked them both in the eyes. In that moment, Shirai and Haitani both experienced what could be called 'eep', that moment when a small woodland creature suddenly walks into a predators' line of sight. The journey to Hinata was very, very quiet for Shirai and Haitani.

Tsuruko Aoyama smiled to herself. It would be good to see Motoko, and if her information was right, an old ally of the Shinmeiryu, again.

* * *

Back at the Hinata-sou, everything was relatively normal, well, as normal as it ever got around those parts. Kitsune lay on the couch in front of the TV, drinking a can of cold sake from the fridge and watching the horse racing from Aintree in Great Britain; Shinobu was working on her homework from school; Su was inventing, apparently something to do with Tama-chan; and Keitaro and Naru were studying for the next round of tests with Mutsumi. The only one acting out of character was Motoko. She was on the roof, stressing out in a major way.

_'My sister is coming to visit me! But why? Is it because she thinks it's time for me to take over our family school? But I'm not ready!'_

These thoughts ran around and around in her head like a hamster in a wheel, going faster and faster. She didn't even sense the change in the air as a familiar presence made its way up the steps.

* * *

Donald Johannsen made his way around the Hinata-sou, a serious expression welded to his face. Over one shoulder, he carried escoteric equipment that was, while not as advanced as some of the devices that Su created as a matter of course, was still several ranks above top-of-the-range. Amongst them, suprisingly, was a normal video camera and a tripod. Reaching the clearing he had found, he began to set up the equipment. Switching on the video camera, he cleared his throat.

"This is Papa-Mike-zero-seven, reporting from 'H-Zone'." he then said the date and time, before continuing.

"I am commencing study of the phenomenon I discovered approximately seven days ago. I will made hourly reports on progress on my experiments." he announced, before he switched off the camera and picked up something from his spread of equipment.

* * *

At about 11:30, Shinobu walked back down to the kitchen to make lunch. Kitsune was now asleep in the common room, with a contented smile on her face. Entering the kitchen, Shinobu saw Narus' rifle leaning against the table, waiting for Naru to mount it somewhere. As she walked past, it slid down and clattered onto the floor, the bolt popping open and springing back into the fully open position. Sighing, Shinobu bent down and picked up the rifle.

* * *

**  
**

Tsuruko was walking up the long staircase that lead to the Hinata-sou when suddenly she sensed a great darkness descend on the building. Recognising the taint as that of a demon, she broke out into a run. Bursting into the common room, she saw tendrils of jet-black fire wrap themselves around Shinobu, encasing her in darkness. As fast as they had appeared though, the flames vanished. The apparition that appeared was not a Shinobu everyone at the apartments would recognise. The figure holding the rifle looked closer to 18 or 19, and was loading the rifle in her hands. The possessed woman locked the bolt back into place, before aiming at the sleeping Kitsune and started to pull the trigger back.

Motoko had also sensed the demonic presence, and was this very moment leaping over the banisters, her sword in her hand. She gaped at the double sight of Shinobu aiming that rifle, which was obviously the source of the demonic presence, and also her sister, Tsuruko moving in with feline grace to strike Shinobu.

Tsuruko sprang fowards, and kicked Shinobu back, sending her out the door, and the bullet she'd fired into the sky. The sound of the shot roused everyone to see what the matter was. Unfortunately for Keitaro, he came to see the cause of the ruckus just as the bird that the flying bullet had hit crashed down on his head.

* * *

Donald heard the shot, and his senses flared. Grabbing his hat, he ran back towards the Hinata-sou, his Walther PPK in one hand, and a heavy Napoleonic-era sabre in the other. He slid in the dust around the corner, and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

"My word... That's something you don't see everyday."

The possessed Shinobu jerkily turned, and a frightening, echoing laugh escaped her lips. She sighted down the rifle straight at Donalds' throat, and fired again, before swinging around and using the rifle butt to hit Tsuruko in the stomach as she charged in.

Barely dodging the round, the English naval officer dived behind cover.

_'What the hell is going on here? And what can be done to stop it?'_ he thought.

* * *

_Shinobu was scared. She'd been trapped in this nightmare for who knew how long. She was in a hospital, and was swathed in bandages. Distant gunfire could be heard from her bed, but it was getting closer. Suddenly, the doors into the ward burst open-_

* * *

All of a sudden, Donald started to feel a bit queasy. His eyes glazed over, and something pulled him into a bright light-

* * *

The residents of the Hinata-sou, as well as Tsuruko, gaped as Donald suddenly broke from cover, and began to run towards Shinobu, holding his sword high, and shouting "Cry God, for Harry, England, and Saint George!"

Before any one could cry out or move, he'd grabbed Shinobu, and wrenched one of her hands off the cursed rifle...

* * *

_The soldier sneered at Shinobu as she lay in the hospital bed, and draw his rifle back to stab her with the bayonet. The rifle flashed towards her-_

_"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU MONSTER!"_

_-But suddenly a fist punched the soldier in the face, throwing him clear across the ward, rifle still in hand._

_"Take my hand, child! Quickly, there is not much time..." the voice said urgently. Shinobu grabbed the hand of her saviour, and the hospital ward faded like smoke. Shinobu looked up at her rescuer and blinked in suprise._

_"Johannsen-sama?"_

_It looked like Donald, but he was older, more self-assured, and also had a beard and moustache. He looked down and smiled slightly._

_"Yes, and no, Miss Maehara. If you must have a name, call me 'The One Who Was', ok?"_

_Shinobu swallowed, and nodded. The being who called himself 'The One Who Was' looked around them. "Let us get out of here, all right?"_

* * *

Motoko and Tsuruko both watched in shock as Donald and Shinobus' ki both fought against the dark force dwelling in the rifle. Suddenly, Donald shouted to the two Shinmei students.

"Motoko, Tsuruko, you have to seal the spirit in this rifle! Quickly, there's not much not time!" The two women paused for a second, unsure if they could do so.

"Damn it, this is no time for arsing about, you two! Seal the damned rifle!!" he roared, his voice carrying for nearly a mile in all directions.

Tsuruko and Motoko nodded to each other, and took a deep breath. _"OUGI ZANGAN KEN NI NO TACHI!!!"_ they both cried, and sent two waves of ki energy towards Donald and Shinobu.

_**BOOOOOOOMMM!**_

* * *

As the dust cleared, everyone saw Donald slowly rise to his feet. He was covered in dust, and some soot, but his eyes, and his teeth, shone with triumph as he lifted Shinobu, who was now back to normal. "Good show, chaps." he said.

"Hey Naru, look at that rifle of yours!" Su suddenly said, pointing. The rifle had landed with the bayonet and barrel partly buried in the ground. Now, rust raced across the mechanism and the wood rotted before their eyes. Within moments, the weapon was rotted through, proved by when Kitsune gently touched the trigger guard with the toe of her shoe, making it disintegrate.

"Wow. Talk about Dorian Gray..." Keitaro mentioned.

* * *

It was now Five past Twelve, and almost everyone was sitting in the common room. Douglas had carried Shinobu up to her room and laid her out on her futon, and was now standing against the wall, a glass of English beer in his hand.

"Well, I suppose you want to know what that was, right?" Motoko asked, as Donald noisily took a sip from his glass.

"That was a _Tsukumogami_, an artifact spirit. But I've never seen one in a firearm before, and certainly not a spirit that corrupt and dark..."

"I saw something like that once, in Southampton..." Donald remarked, taking another noisy sip of his beer. He paused for a moment. "Oh, yeh, I nearly forgot..." he remarked, downing the last of his beer. He put the glass down on the table, and nodded to Tsuruko.

"When you got the time, we need to talk." he said, then walked out.

* * *

**To be Continued:**

**Once again, I'd like to thank Dark Jedi Princess for checking my writings. **


	5. What lies behind green eyes

**What lies behind green eyes:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. I'm just borrowing the situation for a while, ok?**

* * *

**  
**

Shortly after Tsuruko had walked out of the Hinata-sou after Donald, Su bounced out of her room, full of beans as always. Within a few moments, she was hammering on Narus' door.

"Hey Naru, I found out something about Keitaros' friend!" she grinned happily. Naru, who had been studying diligently before, suddenly wrenched her door open, an unpleasantly eager expression on her face.

"What? What have you found, Su?" she asked, as she went to fetch Motoko. A few minutes later, they were crowded around Su's computer. The tanned girl opened up some files, and the two suspicious women were confronted by the history of Donald Hansen, as the files called him.

The first file was of his birth certificate, and stated that he'd been born in 1970, in Bexhill-on-Sea, a township on the South Coast of England. Next were several school reports, stating that Donald had been an average, but likeable, student at his Comprehensive School.

Things became interesting, though, when they looked at a record dated March 1987. According to this, he'd won a scholarship to Bristol University through the Royal Navy, to study electronics. Passing out with a degree in electronics engineering in late 1990, he joined the RN Officers Training Course, and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in mid-1991. The next few years were spent in warships as an Engineer, eventually reaching Chief Engineer on HMS _Marlborough_. After HMS _Marlborough_...

"That is strange..." Motoko said, and Naru had to agree. Where as the previous files were full and complete, the next file merely said "_Assigned to HMS Kilburn (See files "SOU-250696/(P)m" and "KIL-Omega-Red-15(PM-007)")._"

When they opened the next file, their eyebrows rose again. It was a Royal Navy psychiatric report dated sometime in early 1998, and seemed to imply that Hansen may be not in full possession of his faculties, and recommended that he receive a medical discharge.

After these reports, the more recent files were positively mundane, showing an application for employment at a Scottish trade school, then a series of referrals, leading to an offer of a role as an assistant lecturer in the Electronics Department at the Hinata University, a plane ticket, and a note about some wrangling over his sword at Customs.

Naru and Motoko looked at each other, then looked at Su, as if to say, "Is this all?" Su nodded happily, and said, "Yes, that is everything I found out about him. Why did you want to know?" The two high scholars didn't answer, instead thanking the young girl and scampering off, hoping to see if they could blackmail Donald.

* * *

Tsuruko made her way to where Donald was waiting for her. They exchanged a few muted words, and then he lead her to the clearing. When they arrived, she noticed all the equipment, and glanced at Donald, who nodded. 

"Well, you know us lads from HMS _Kilburn_, always studying things beyond the ken of mortal man." he remarked, shrugging one shoulder and flashing a small smile. "Any how, shall we continue?"

* * *

Naru made her way down to Harukas' Teashop with her study notes under her arm and a thoughtful expression on her face. She hadn't been able to find the Englishman yet, and Motoko had suggested waiting to find more evidence, a suggestion to which Naru grudgingly accepted. As she walked inside, the radio was quietly playing a song that Naru had sung during her short career as a pop idol, and Haruka was mopping down the countertop with an old rag. "Hi there Haruka." Naru called out, as she walked over. Haruka merely nodded, and stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. "What brings you down here, Naru?" 

"It's nothing. I just wanted to get away from that _baka_ for a while and study in peace." Naru replied sniffily. "Besides..." the Tokyo U applicant trailed off, not sure about how to put this.

Haruka raised her eyebrow. "Something else on your mind, Naru?" Naru looked up, but Harukas' face gave nothing away.

"It's Keitaros' friend, Donald. There's something fishy about him I don't trust." Naru admitted finally. Haruka paused shortly in her mopping, and by the door, a certain woman with ash-blond hair pricked up her ears in interest.

"Why's that, Naru? In the week he's been coming here, he's been nothing but a perfect gentleman." Haruka commented.

"That's just it! No one can be that nice, especially one of that pervert Keitaros' friends!" Naru fumed, building up a good head of steam. "Not only that, but he's not right in the head! I saw it in his files!"

Kitsune gasped softly to herself as she heard this. _'I knew you had your issues with him, Naru, but that's just downright mean.'_ the fox woman thought. What happened next made everyone jump. Haruka darted forwards and grabbed Naru. Bringing her up nose to nose, the older woman glared with fury into the younger woman's eyes.

"Now listen to me, Narusegawa," she hissed, her eyes narrowed in controlled rage. "If I were you, I'd get any thoughts of hurting Johannsen-san out of your head. What he is, and what he does, is none of your damned business, clear?"

Naru gulped and nodded in fear, then squeaked as Haruka unceremoniously dropped her. Unnoticed by either of them, Kitsune silently made her way outside and up towards the Hinata-sou.

* * *

A few minutes later, Naru was mooching around outside the Apartments, her attempt at studying forgotten as she thought over what had happened since that mysterious, and apparently dangerous, Englishman had arrived. So wrapped up was she that she didn't see the man in question and Motokos' sister walk past, going the other way with sober expressions on their faces. 

Eventually, Naru found herself in a clearing, where there was a rock face and the remains of a campsite. Curious, she began to poke around.

* * *

Kitsune found Donald rubbing his chin as he stood at the top of the long staircase, looking out over the city to the sea. With a foxy smile, she sneaked up behind him and pressed herself up against him, silently giggling as he nearly jumped out of his skin and went as red as a tomato. 

"Hey there, stud." she said breathily, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"M-m-m-m--m-m-m-Miss Konno!" Donald stammered madly, going even redder. "What on Earth are you doing?"

"Well, I just happened to around, and you looked so lonely and all, I thought I'd try and cheer you up." she said, winking at the flustered Englishman.

Donald's' eyes flickered backwards and forwards, looking about five seconds away from a full-blown panic attack. It wasn't that he disliked Miss Konno, quite the reverse, he felt that there was something... reassuring about her. It was just the last time anyone had got this close to him, he'd ended up in hospital for nearly a month.

"Er, er, er... Forgive me, Miss Konno, but, er..." Donald mumbled, extracting himself from Kitsunes' grasp. "I must be going. I've been meaning to explore the town since I arrived here."

"Well then," Kitsune beamed, not missing a beat. "Allow me to be your tour guide, and please, call me 'Kitsune'!"

She grabbed him by the arm and almost dragged him away, ignoring his protestations.

* * *

In a corner of Donald's' mind not awash with indignation, something caught his attention. 

_'That's odd... Miss Konnos' hand is touching my wrist, yet my allergy hasn't flared up...'_

Suddenly the rest of his brain caught up with this.

_'WHAT?! I'm not flaring up?! How could this be?'_ his mind thundered to itself, as the rest of him was lead into the town without a complaint by Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno.

* * *

Naru studied the paper on the boards with curiosity, before touching it. 

"Ouch!" she suddenly said, as what felt like a spark of static electricity struck her hand. Shaking her hand, she walked away, mumbling to herself.

Another tiny piece of the paper now came away from the planks...

* * *

**To Be Continued... **


	6. Damage Control

**THE WHEEL TURNS**

_--By David Alan Abramczyk _

**Chapter 6:**

**A torpedoed Ronin, and Damage Control**

**Disclaimer: I don't own "Love Hina", Ken Akamatsu does. I wish I owned it, but I don't, so that is that.**

* * *

Keitaro sat moodily up on the roof of the Hinata Apartments staring out over the sea. Ever since the incident a few weeks before with Shinobu, life in the dorm had been stranger than usual. When Tsuruko had left, she had taken Motoko with her, saying something about catching up with her sister. Shinobu had taken to hiding in her room, and Kitsune had mentioned that she was crying a lot. Kitsune herself seemed to have taken a shine to Donald, and the pair of them could often be seen staggering home at nights, drunkenly singing. Su, well, she was creating more and more powerful Mecha-Tamas, and Naru... 

Keitaro sighed sadly. Naru had for no apparent reason started becoming a lot quicker to anger, and her punches had increased in power. The day before, she had punched him halfway to Hiroshima. It had been lucky that that inflatable castle had been there to bounce him back, really. Eventually, Keitaro rose to his feet, ready to go back inside, and as if on cue, his natural clumsiness kicked in. He tripped, hopped about, and with a loud yelp, crashed into the hot springs. Panicking as he surfaced, the ronin looked around, and was stunned to see that he was the only person in there. Deciding not to waste this good fortune, he vaulted out of the water, and ran back to his room at top speed.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the hill, a slim, graceful young woman with hair as black as onyx looked up the steps to where the Hinata-sou sat proudly. She had a black cat with big ears riding on her shoulder, like a parrot. 

"Onii-chan..." she said wistfully, then turned her head slightly as she saw Haruka step outside her teahouse for a cigarette break.

Haruka remained poker-faced as she saw the all-too familiar woman start to walk over to her. Inside, though, was a different matter.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Kanako?" she stated plainly, blowing a smoke ring into the air. "How's Mom?"

"She's fine. The last I saw her, we were in New Zealand, checking out the hot springs in a town called Rotorua." Kanako replied, absently stroking her cats' soft black fur. "Then I heard about Onii-chan, and I knew I had to come here..."

Haruka didn't say anything for a moment, merely blowing out a long stream of smoke. Finally, she stubbed out the cigarette butt and spoke.

"Keitaro's had a tough time recently, what with his pen friend visiting, and all the goings on."

"What do you mean?" Kanako interrupted. "What have those girls been doing to my Onii-chan?!" she demanded.

Haruka waited for a moment for Kanako to calm down, before shaking her head. "You know Keitaro. He's worked his way into the girls' hearts without knowing it, and some of them are having a hard time accepting that. Sometimes he's too kind for his own good, the big softy." she chuckled.

Kanako seemed mollified by this for the moment, and rose to her feet. "Please, excuse me, oba-san, but I must go and see Onii-chan." The pale girl turned and picked up her bags, before walking out and up the steps. Once she walked out, Haruka had to pour herself a glass of sake.

"Oh, brother... Keitaro, you've got a surprise coming now..." she remarked to herself. There were very few things in life that could make Haruka Urashima want to head for the hills, but her adopted niece was one of them, especially if she felt that someone was hurting Keitaro. Hell hath no fury like Kanako Urashima...

* * *

Keitaro, now dry and dressed in old clothes, was walking down to give the hot springs their weekly scrub down when he heard the doorbell ring. 

_'Now who can that be?'_ he wondered, setting down his tools and making his way to the door, careful not to disturb Kitsune, who was asleep on the couch after yet another night on the town with Donald. He opened the door, and his eyes widened, as a blur suddenly latched onto him, forcing him to step back a few paces.

"Ka-Ka-Kanako?" he exclaimed, greatly surprised to see his adopted younger sister.

"Onii-chan!" Kanako squealed in delight, hugging him as tightly as one of Su's infamous 'Death Glomps'.

* * *

"So, what brings you back to Japan, Kanako?" Keitaro asked, holding a cup of green tea in his hand. He'd just filled Kanako in on most of the weirdness tat had been going on recently. 

"Granny Hina told me about Tokyo U, she asked me to check up on you." Kanako said.

_'And maybe we can fulfil the promise we made, so long ago...'_ she wistfully thought to herself.

Keitaro flushed slightly as he remembered his last attempt to enter Tokyo U, and mumbled quietly as he looked down at the table.

"This was the third time in a row, Kanako. I'm starting to think that someone seriously doesn't want me getting into Tokyo U." he admitted glumly, pushing some crumbs around the table absently with a finger. Kanako rose from her seat, and put her arms around Keitaro in a gentle embrace.

"Don't be so hung up about it, Onii-chan," she said softly, as Kuro threaded between Keitaros legs and rubbed himself against both siblings.

The three-time ronin blushed massively as Kanako hugged him to her, and his eyes nervously began searching for a way out. He knew only too well from painful experience that in any situation like this, either Naru or Motoko would appear and jump to conclusions.

Even so, it was nice to know that there was someone who could show him some affection, and not turn around and send him into space a few seconds later.

* * *

"Well, Keitaro, you ol' smoothie! Who's this little cutie?" 

"YEARGH!" Keitaro yelped in surprise, before toppling over to the floor, bringing Kanako with him. When he regained his senses, he found that he was holding Kanako in a manner that could be considered highly inappropriate by anyone other than her. As it was, she blushed, and a tiny fantasy flashed through her mind. Of course, being Kanako, it wasn't merely G rated.

"PERVERT!!"

Of course, not everyone thought that this was just an innocent accident, as a furious Naru Naruegawa suddenly appeared. With an almighty blow, she kicked Keitaro out into the Hot Springs, before going to cause more pain to the poor ronin.

* * *

Donald was watering his planter box at his apartment, when a descending wail caught his attention. Taking the pipe from his mouth (he didn't smoke, but he did like the image of wisdom and maturity that pipe smokers had), he watched as Keitaro Urashima crashed down in front of him, kicking up a cloud of dust. 

"'Ello, Kei. What happened this time? Walk in on Naru while she was changing?" he asked blithely as he helped him up.

"Something like that..." Keitaro groaned.

Donald looked him over. "You look all in, lad. Come inside, I'll get you a pick-me-up."

Following Donald in, Keitaro was moderately surprised at how sparse the apartment was. Aside from a framed diploma on one wall, a neatly pressed military uniform hanging on a coat hanger, and a photograph of some ship he didn't recognise, there was no actual sign that someone was living here.

Donald opened a cabinet, and drew out a bottle and two small glasses. He poured a measure out into each glass and handed one to Keitaro.

_"Kanpai."_

_"Kanpai."_ Keitaro echoed, and took a drink. His eyes bulged and he gasped as he swallowed it down.

"That'll put hair on your chest. That's 12-year-old Scotch. Very smooth." Donald said, as he lightly tapped Keitaro on the back.

Keitaro looked at his glass for a moment, before reaching for the bottle. This time, he took a swig neat straight out of it.

"I say, steady on..." Donald said, somewhat alarmed. "That's a very strong whisky there."

"Right now, I need it." Keitaro said, and suddenly alarm bells rang in Donalds' head. Becoming deadly serious, he sat down beside Keitaro. "Trouble at mill?" he asked.

Keitaro looked at Donald, and then looked up at the Hinata-sou. Donald caught on. "Naru?"

Suddenly, the dam seemed to burst, and Keitaro buried his face in his arms and sobbed out the whole story.

"Ara, ara..." Donald jumped, and saw Mutsumi at the door holding a pair of big, juicy watermelons in her hands.

Donald slowly rose from his seat, and put his hand on Keitaros' shoulder. He had heard enough. In a suddenly cold, hard-edged voice, he said. "Mutsumi, would you mind looking after Kei for a while? I have an errand to run..." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed his uniform, and stalked into the bathroom, appearing shortly afterwards in full Royal Navy apparel. Centring his white visor cap on his head correctly, he marched out the door, cracking his knuckles as he went.

* * *

Kanako softly knocked on Shinobus' door, before entering the darkened room. The blue haired girl was sitting on her futon and rocking backwards and forwards slightly, as she tightly held Narus' Liddo-kun. Silently, Kanako padded over, and sat in front of the young teenager. Even though part of her was angry with her for being in love with her Onii-chan, Kanako couldn't help but see the ways in which they were so similar. Gently, she touched Shinobus' shoulder, which made Shinobu look up. 

"_Sempai_?" she asked softly, thinking that Keitaro had come. Kanako sighed softly, remembering Harukas' words.

* * *

Donald slowly made his way up the long steps, his hands clenched into meaty fists and lips set in a cold, hard line. His sword clanked in its' scabbard as it bounced against his leg, and his Walther nestled under his arm, loaded and ready to fire. As he reached the top of the steps, he saw Kitsune sitting on the porch with several bottles of sake around her. 

"Kitsune, are Shinobu and Su home?" Donald asked bluntly. The young woman blanched as she looked into his eyes, and nodded.

"Here. I don't know what the exchange rate of Sterling-to-Yen is at the moment, but take this," he said, handing her a 20-pound note. "Take Shinobu and Su to the pictures, or something."

"What's going on, Donald?" Kitsune asked, slightly frightened by the coldness he was showing.

"Get the girls out. If you want to stick around for the bloodshed, fine by me." he said.

Kitsune was as good as her word. Within a few minutes, she and Kanako had gotten Shinobu and Su down to the tram stop, and now was following Donald as he scraped the dirt off his black Oxfords and marched into the Hinata-sou.

* * *

Naru was sitting at her desk, studying once again, when suddenly she heard the ominous Bang, Bang, Bang of a flat palm smacking against the door. Getting up from the kotatsu, she opened the door and saw Donald standing there, with a blank, expressionless face. 

"I just had a most interesting conversation with Keitaro just a few minutes ago." he began conversationally. "He told me that you, what is the phrase..." he paused, thinking "Oh yes, you 'tossed him aside like a hot brick.' Am I right in thinking that?"

Kitsune silently gasped. She knew that the two ronins had been going through a rocky patch, but Naru had dumped him? As the shock passed, a ball of anger began to grow in her gut.

Naru flipped her hair dismissively. "So what if I did? He's just a perverted ronin. _Baka no Hentai_, he'll never amount to anything..." she said, and began to list off Keitaros' flaws like they were a shopping list

Donald and Kitsune were silent as Narus' tirade came to an end. Donald still had no expression on his face, but Kitsune was now visibly getting angry.

"You know, Narusegawa, until just now, I had come bearing no malice." Donald remarked casually. "However, that is no longer the case. Therefore, I have no compulsion against doing this."

With that, he walked into Narus' room, and shut the door as he slowly cracked his knuckles, which sounded like walnuts being broken...

* * *

**To be continued...**


	7. The Beast Awakens

**The Wheel Turns**

**_--By David Abramczyk_ **

**Chapter 7:**

**The Beast Awakens **

**Disclaimer: I am not Ken Akamatsu, and therefore do not own _Love Hina_. If I did, I'd be a very happy man.  
**

**A/N: First off, I'd like to apologise about the lengthy delay in producing this chapter. My muse deserted me for several months****. But, as they say, better late than never! Also, I'd like to thank "Legacy iB" for helping me to write the scene where Naru does some soul-searching. Thanks man, you rock! And finally, I'd also like to thank my friend Abby for proofing this chapter. So, without further ado, let's get on with the show!****  
**

* * *

Su bounced up and down on the balls of her bare feet as she waited impatiently for her turn at the concession stand. Kanako had invited her and Shinobu to come with her to see a movie, and was holding tickets for _"Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit"_ in her hand. The Goth girl was looking over at Shinobu with concern. The little bluenette had been sniffing and quietly crying since they'd left the apartments. Su had mentioned why that was, and it had set Kanako thinking.

"Shinobu... Can I ask you something?" she asked softly. Shinobu looked up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Did you know that..." Kanako paused, unsure of what to say. She closed her eyes and pressed on as best she could. "You have a strong ki aura around you?"

Shinobu's watery blue eyes looked into Kanako's brown ones in surprise. "Like.. Like Motoko-_sempai_?" she asked, before Su bounded over, half-hidden behind a bucket of popcorn and with an ice cream in each hand.

"Come on, Shinomu and Kanako! The film is about to start!" she declared. She balanced the bucket of popcorn on her head and skipped over to the usher. "We'll talk more after the film." Kanako said, as she and Shinobu followed Su.

* * *

Keitaro leaned his head against Mutsumi's shoulder as he slept. The catharsis he had experienced had left him drained, and with the whiskey inside him, he'd dropped off. Mutsumi gently stroked his temple, her usual happy-go-lucky expression nowhere to be seen.

"_Ara_, Kei-kun... I had no idea..." she whispered. Carefully she pulled him down so his head rested comfortably in her lap, and just listened to his still slightly disjointed breathing.

* * *

Motoko and Tsuruko walked up to the Hinata-sou, having returned from their training camp, and opened the door. Inside, everything was deathly quiet. Kitsune was sitting on the couch, an unopened bottle of sake in her hand, as she looked blankly down at the table. Motoko recognised this posture of Kitsune. Something terrible must have happened, terrible enough to make Kitsune sober. She kneeled down in front of the fox, and put her hand under Kitsunes' chin, lifting it up so she could look eye-to-eye with the older woman.

"By the Kami... What happened to you, Kitsune?" asked Motoko. Kitsune looked into Motoko's face, and said a name.

"Naru..."

To say that the swordswoman was surprised was a great understatement. In fact, she was dumbfounded. Naru had done something to her best friend, something terrible enough to cause her to fall into a depressive state.

Tsuruko was in the kitchen when Motoko appeared at the door. "What happened here, Motoko? I don't need to use my ki sense to know that something bad has happened."

* * *

In Tokyo itself, three glum looking men sat in a karaoke bar, listening to some balding, portly salaryman butchering the classic British punk anthem "London Calling" by The Clash. They each had a mug of beer in front of them, and many empty bottles on the table. Shirai Kimiaki, Haitani Masayuki, and Kentaro Sakata swayed from side to side as the alcohol worked its' way through them.

"Y'know somming?" Haitani slurred drunkenly. "Tha' Keitaro... 's'on abloodygoodthin'... How'd he manage to get to run 'nall girls dorm, eh?"

"A boun'y...boun'y.. a big pile a riches..." Shirai agreed. He grabbed his drink, and tried to drink it down, causing half of it to spill down his "Kanagawa Neverland" jacket.

"You're both dizgraceful..." Kentaro said. This was the first time since Haruka had forced him to work for her that he'd got time off, and he'd taken the opportunity with both hands. "Y'right, though. I should be the one with Naru, not that geeky squirt..." he continued morosely. "Imagine. I, Sankaro Tetata, defeated by some ronin for the hand of the fair Narusegawa..."

"Hmmm..." the sorry trio grunted, before drinking their beers.

* * *

Under the Hinata-sou, in the twisting darkened corridors of old, a door creaked open slowly, and something drifted through, making a piece of paper on the doorframe flutter for a moment. Inside the room, under an old dust cloth, sat a clockwork automaton of a young girl in an old-fashioned dress.

_"I sense you in here, whoever you are..."_ a soft voice spoke, as the dust cloth shivered for a moment. Slowly, a figure faded in. It was almost identical to the doll under the cloth, but looked more human than machine.

A soft warm chuckle drifted into the room as another figure, this one of a bearded, middle-aged European man, faded in after her. He was dressed in the white Tropical uniform of a Royal Navy officer circa. 1941, and had a revolver sealed in a leather holster at his hip.

_"Indeed you do, Guardian of the Hinata-sou."_ The man spoke, before bowing. _"Permit me to introduce myself. I am Lieutenant-Commander Warwick Johannsen, late of His Majestys' Battleship_ Prince Of Wales_, and the Guardian of my grandson, Donald Johannsen."_

The young girl bowed in reply. _"And I am Moe, Protector of this place, and of Keitaro Urashima. What brings you to my domain?"_

Warwick's face became grim. _"The demon sealed in the hills behind this place is trying to free itself once more. Already it has chosen a pawn to use to free itself. It needs only one last push, and it will escape its' prison."_

_"What of the Shinmei-ryu? Will they help us?"_ Moe asked, equally serious. Warwick shook his head.

_"The elder sister knows the danger, through my grandchild, but the heir of the school... She has been blinded. Blinded by fear, and her hatred of men. It does not help that the demon preyed on her perceptions and her fears. Even now, as you know, she has regularly used her skills and powers to punish a righteous man, whose only fault is to be incautious of his surroundings at times. Were it not for the young ones, and the Sea Princess, he may have left long ago, and taken all hope with him."_

Moe nodded for a moment. _"She will be better for him, I think. Give him time, and he shall raise his eyes from the sandpit of his memories, and see what is in front of him."_

Warwick nodded. _"I hope so too... By the way, in case we fail, what reserves have we?"_

_"There is a group of girls in Tokyo whom I have managed to bring in, although they know not who I am. There is also those who reside at the temple in Nekomi whom are aware of the situation."_

_"Good."_ Warwick said slowly. _"But in the end, it will still come down to one man. Keitaro."_

_"Then let us hope he will be ready..."_ Moe replied, before both figures faded away.

* * *

By the time Tsuruko and Motoko had heard everything, the common room of the Hinata was filled by a pair of blood-red battle auras. Both the Aoyama's were furious at Naru for treating Keitaro in such a callous fashion.

_'Not even a spineless weakling like Keitaro should be treated with such dishonour and disrespect!'_ Motoko thought with a growl.

Tsuruko on her part, managed to keep a more level head. "So, where is Miss Narusegawa? I think we should... _discuss_ this with her."

Mitsune shrugged. "Haven't seen her since Donald left to go somewhere..." she said. _'Naru, what _has_ been getting into you lately?'_ she wondered of her best friend.

* * *

Mutsumi schooled her face into a more normal expression for her as she felt Keitaro start to stir. The glasses-wearing ronin blinked a few times as he tried to focus.

_'Huuu... Where am I? Let me think: I'm lying down on something soft and warm... Okay maybe it's a futon.. It's coloured green and brown... Wait a minute. Warm and soft? Green and brown?! OH NOOOOO!'_ Keitaro was beginning to panic, when a soft hand began to stroke the curve of his face.

"Kei-kun..." Mutsumi said, in her breathy, little-girl voice, which made her sound like the legendary American actress Marilyn Monroe. That sweet, innocent voice, coupled with her gentle caress, helped to sooth Keitaro's rattled mind and injured soul.

* * *

Moe nodded to herself as she faded away from Mutsumi's apartment. She was happy that Keitaro had finally found his true 'Promise Girl', even if he hadn't realised it yet, but, at the same time, she was sad that he'd had to suffer so much heartache to get to here.

_"Be happy, Kei... You've earned it..."_ she said, returning to her room in the darkened hallways, beneath the apartment.

* * *

It was peaceful here, Naru reflected, as she sat behind the waterfall up in the hills. She'd come up here to think on what had happened that day, away from anything that could cloud her judgement. At least that was her rationale. Deep down, so far down that she was barely aware of it, Naru had taken stock of herself, and she hadn't liked what she'd discovered.

_'For someone ranked Top in the Nation on the University Entrance Exams, I've done some pretty dumb things...'_ she thought to herself.

_'Why though? Before Keitaro came, I never had this... this beserker rage. Is something wrong with me?'_

Her Pride and Ego tried to launch a counter-attack. "It's all Keitaro's fault! If he wasn't such a perverted idiot and kept groping me..." She faultered as a persistant memory brought itself to her attention. She studied it carefully, and slowly paled. She reviewed all her memories of the times she'd 'punished' Keitaro. Each time the same conclusion came up.

_'My God... Keitaro... How could I have been such a bitch? Haruka told us time and again about your clumsyness, and your forgetfulness...'_

"It's not as if we haven't given him any number of chances..." This was weak, even she had to admit it.

She winced violently as she recalled a particular memory. Keitaro had spent three hours cleaning the hot spring, and she and Kitsune had sneaked in when he left and made a huge mess. And then, she'd thumped him for 'failing to do a good job'.

Sniffing now, Naru felt her cheeks grow moist, and not due to the waterfall. _'He treated us like Queens- no, like Goddesses. And how did we repay his efforts? With humiliation and pain... God, he must be a saint to have put up with us like this for so long.'_

_'We never gave him a chance to prove himself: Kitsune bilked cash out of him on the very first day, and played me like a chump. Motoko's tried to force him to leave, and I... It's been that one moment I've reached out to him, the next I've hammered him for making mistakes even I make occasionally...'_

Naru buried her face in her arms, trying to block out the terrible image that had risen before her eyes. As if mocking her, the voice of Keitaro's friend Donald rang in her ears, the soft words he'd spoken less than an hour ago stabbing into her like a thousand knives.

_"...Why do you do it, Narusegawa-san? Do you get a thrill from degrading an innocent man; does smashing his psyche into tiny fragments make you feel like a woman?"_ he had asked. The most terrible thing was, he'd never raised his voice, never shown any anger. If he'd shouted at her, or slapped her, she would have vented her anger on him and all would return to normal. Instead, her anger had become directed inwards, stripping away her self-delusions and baring her soul to the cold light of day for the first time in years.

"He's a clumsy daydreamer!"

_'Maybe, but he's also our manager, a friend, a...'_

"DAMNIT!" she screamed in frustration. "Why am I so stupid? Why couldn't I have told him how I truly felt about him? Why can't I tell him that I care for him, but I can hurt him?! Why? _WHY?!_"

She subsided into silent crying again. "Why did I push him away?" she whispered brokenly.

For the first time since Keitaro came to the Hinata, Naru felt a new emotion wash over her. Remorse. A bitter chuckle escaped her lips.

"Just like with Seta.. I got so hung up about what _might_ happen that I let him slip through my fingers... And now Keitaro's done the same."

Naru slowly got to her feet and stretched out her stiff shoulders. _'I need to go talk to Keitaro, beg for his forgiveness.'_

She walked out from behind the waterfall, and to make her way back. Curiously, she came across a clearing in the woods that looked... _wrong_ to her. She walked across it, when suddenly she tripped on a rock, and ran headlong into a boarded up cave entrance.

_CRASH!_

The wood smashed as Naru ran through it. She looked around as she brought herself to a stop, and screamed. The sight before Naru made her wish that she'd continued to go to church like she had when she was a girl.

There, towering over her, was a picture-perfect description of a demon. It opened its' eyes, and then roared.

**"FREEEDOOOMMMMM!!!!!"**

It surged forwards, and grabbed Naru, bringing it up to it's face. It smiled evilly and began to laugh. It was too much for her. She passed out, whispering three words as she did.

_"Keitaro... help me..."_

* * *

**To Be Continued...**_  
_


	8. Battle Stations

**The Wheel Turns**

**_--by David Alan Abramczyk_**

**Chapter 8:**

**Battle Stations...**

**Disclaimer: _Love Hina_ is the Intellectual Property of Ken Akamatsu, Tokyopop, and all other concerned parties. How I wish I was one of those parties...**

_Before I go on to the story, I feel I must do a little book-keeping, respond to reviews, and once again apologise for the lateness of my update._

_Firstly, to Major Mike Powell III: Thanks for all your encouragement! I hope you'll like how I describe "the timorous wee beastie" that attacked Naru last chapter..._

_Secondly: This fic will most likely go under a re-write at some point, to tidy up loose ends, and leave open the possibility of sequals._

_Now, on with the show!_

* * *

Mutsumi and Donald gently carried Keitaro back to the dorm, Tama-chan sitting on Keitaro's chest, occasionally 'Myuh'-ing as the manager snored. Donald looked over at Mutsumi. "He's so light... Has he been eating right?" Mutsumi shrugged, as they passed Haruka's teashop. Haruka came out and followed them, mostly to see that Mutsumi didn't faint on the steps.

When they entered, Mutsumi laid Keitaro on the couch, while Haruka went to make tea. Donald sat down next to Keitaro and sighed. "What are we going to do with you, Keitaro?" he asked rhetorically, as he pulled a magazine from his jacket pocket and began to read it. "I dunno... Frankly, I'm amazed you've put up with all this. You must be a saint or something..." Donald snorted, before returning to his magazine.

A few minutes later, Tsuruko and Motoko came in. Not raising his eyes, the Englishman raised his finger to his lips. "Shh... The lads' asleep."

Tsuruko sat down beside Donald and looked at Keitaro. "Mutsumi told me everything that happened... Is there...?"

"No. Let the laddie rest." Donald remarked. They watched him sleep for a moment, before Motoko looked up. She blanched, and reached instinctively for her sword.

"_Aneue_... Did you sense that?" Tsuruko looked up, and softly gasped. Donald gave them a puzzled look over his magazine, before freezing and turning pale.

"By the pricking of my thumbs... Something wicked this way comes..." he muttered, tapping his sword to check it was still there. Standing up, he looked at the two swordswomen. "Looks like I was right. I hate it when I'm right..." he said. Tsuruko nodded. "We shall collect our weapons; you go ahead and see what the situation is."

"Aye, Ma'am." Donald declared, turning and running out, returning a few moment's later to put his magazine on the table and to get his shoes.

Motoko dashed to her room to find her blade. As she dashed down the stairs with _Shisui_ in her grasp, she skidded to a stop outside Keitaro's room. For a moment she was certain she had sensed something, but then she dismissed it from her mind and ran off.

* * *

Donald sprinted towards the site, jumping over fallen logs, and showing a surprising level of agility for such a man. He skidded to a halt behind a thick oak, and paused for a moment to get his breath back. It wouldn't do, after all, to be shagged out before the fight started. Carefully, he looked around the tree-trunk, drawing out and flicking the safety off his Walther as he peered. What he saw made him sweat, and unconsciously pull the slide back on his PPK, ejecting a round.

Standing in the centre of the clearing, translucent for the moment, but slowly gaining substance, was a creature of horrifying appearance, and enormous proportions. It looked like the abominable, nightmarish offspring of the imaginations of Hans Ruedi Giger and Howard Phillips Lovecraft after an almighty drinking binge. In the centre of its forehead, growing out like some sort of monstrous horn, was a dull-eyed Naru, who flopped almost lifelessly about...

Donald shivered. He'd heard stories about demons like this; ones that fed on the life energies of a sacrifice. "This is bad; this is really bad..." He muttered.

He whipped his head around as he sensed two people approaching. He breathed out in relief as he saw it was Motoko and Tsuruko. Urgently he waved them over.

"It's a class-3 'Akuma' demon; destruction-type." he muttered. "It's got Miss Narusegawa, and is using her as a source of energy. We need to get the job done quick-smart, before it gains too much power..."

Motoko nodded. "Leave this to us, Johannsen-san, we'll cleanse Naru." Tsuruko drew her blade in agreement.

"Roger that. But I want that demon. Long story, but it was responsible for my grandfather's death, I'm certain of it..."

Motoko gave him a greatly sceptical look, to which he smirked. "This sabre isn't just for show, Aoyama-san. If you'd bothered to check my background to any depth, you'd have found that I am a member of the Johannsen School of Swordsmanship. Hell, I'm the heir of it, no less; I know my way around the blade..." There were a couple of soft grinding sounds as the three warriors drew their swords, and jumped out at the demon.

* * *

Back at the sou, Mitsune wandered into the common room, to find Mutsumi sitting on the couch with Keitaro's head in her lap. The Okinawan girl was gently stroking Keitaro's face and hair; for an instant, Mitsune felt a pang of something. Sighing, she walked over. "Say there, Turtle-girl, how's our manager doin'?"

Mutsumi opened her mouth to speak, when Keitaro's eyes slammed open, and he jerked upright. "Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked, as he jerkily got to his feet, and walked to the door. He turned, and gave Mutsumi a soft smile.

"I... I'm just going out for a bit, to take care of something." He explained. "I'll be back soon..." With that, he walked upstairs. After a moments pause, Mitsune and Mutsumi followed at a discrete distance. They watched him go up into his room, then into the loft. From there, he took hold of a katana that was sheathed in a black lacquer scabbard, and fixed it to his belt.

* * *

Donald growled as he skidded along the rough ground into a tree. Motoko and Tsuruko were both leaping around the demon, graceful as swallows as their blades flashed, while he was being clobbered up one side and down the other. Stumbling to his feet, he flexed his wrists, and delved into the Special Attacks of the Johannsen School of Swordsmanship.

_**"Krijgshaftige Formulier: Tyfoon Snee!"**_ he shouted, his blade cutting the air in a line from his right shoulder to left hip. A strong gust of wind extended from the edge of his sabre, picking up clumps of earth, stones, and bits of wood as it whistled towards the demon. The blow was a clean one, sending the demon stumbling back, which Tsuruko capitalized on.

_"Raimeiken Ni-no-Tachi!"_ A bolt of ki flashed from her blade, and struck the demon just below where Naru flopped about. The brunette Todai aspirant began to slide out of the demon's forehead, and Motoko sailed up and pulled her free. Gently, she deposited her down behind a tree next to Donald, who took his jacket and cap off, and began to administer first aid.

"Hold tight, lass. We'll see you right. Besides, we still need to have a discussion about how you've been treating Keitaro..."

Donald gave Naru a check over, then covered her with his jacket, to keep her warm. He tucked his hat under her head as a makeshift pillow, before coming back out, weighing up the situation.

He spun around, sword ready, as he heard something crashing through the undergrowth towards him, before relaxing as Keitaro appeared, clutching a sheathed sword and looking winded.

"Keitaro? What the blazes are you doing here?" Donald hissed softly. Keitaro blinked, then shook his head a few times.

"I-I'm not sure. Last I remember was lying on the sofa in the common room, next thing I know, here I am with a sword..."

Donald looked at the weapon in question. "Any good at it? We're in a bit of a tight spot, and could use an extra set of hands."

Keitaro shrugged, and drew the blade. Suddenly, darkness swirled around him.

There was a faint "Oh bollocks..." from Donald, as he realised what was going on. A sudden grim chuckle escaped his lips.

* * *

Both _Shinmeiryu_ practitioners gasped, and looked behind them at where Donald was. He frantically waved them over, before shoving Keitaro out into the line of fire.

Motoko looked incensed. "And you call yourself a friend of Keitaro! How dare you throw him out to the-"

"Motoko, that isn't Keitaro." Tsuruko interrupted, her eyes narrowed. "Can you not sense it? He... he is possessed..." she gasped. "That... that is the Ominous Blade, is it not? The Cursed Sword of the Urashima Clan, that set Kyoto ablaze before being sealed by the Shinmeiryu so long ago..."

"Is it?" Donald asked calmly. "I just thought it was an opportunity to get rid of that beastie once and for all."

The now-possessed Keitaro, giggling madly, began to slash away at the demon, which howled, and fought back.

Donald smirked, and nodded. "Supernatural Darwinism. Demons like that are fiercely territorial, so, what we have here is a win-win situation. Either the demon in the sword wins, in which case it should be a simple matter to take Keitaro out, or the Akuma there will knock Keitaro out, and then be easy pickings for us. Either way, score one for the Good Guys."

Both swordswomen shivered at his coldly analytical words, and Motoko began to wonder just what went on in the European man's mind; how he could be so warm and kind one moment, and so, so _evil _the next...

* * *

The battle went on for nearly half an hour, with Donald lazily throwing an attack out every so often to spice it up, and to keep the two demons in the area around the cavern. Finally, the two demons reached a stalemate of exhaustion. Donald nodded. "Back to work." He strolled out, just as Keitaro fell.

With a Dutch war cry, he charged. His blade flashed again and again as it bit deep into it's flesh, while Motoko dragged Keitaro away, and her sister prepared to perform the ancient ritual to seal the demon in the blade, and render the Urashima Blade harmless.

Then it happened. Just as the demon in the sword was safely sealed, a roar filled the air, followed by a piercing scream. The two _Shinmeiryu_ swordswomen spun around.

Donald was on his knees, clutching the side of his face, as blood poured down it. The demon had raked his face with its' claws. Tsuruko gasped when he took his hand from his face, and showed-

"Oh, Kami-_sama_... He's been blinded!" she cried out, as the mangled man slowly forced himself to his feet. A glowing battle aura surrounded him as he looked at the beast, then at Tsuruko.

"Get Keitaro and Naru out of here!" He shouted. The frightening appearance of his ruined face spurred the two women to drag the non-combatants away.

"Right. Now to get serious." Donald said, slamming his sword into the soil.

_**"Martial Form: Compass Warriors!"**_

* * *

Tsuruko and Motoko rushed back to the Hinata-sou, carrying their precious cargo to safety. Tsuruko happened to glance at Motoko, and couldn't help but notice something: she cradled Keitaro to herself like a mother with her child, or possibly even like newly-weds. The older sister smiled. There was hope for Motoko yet, if she had allowed someone like Keitaro in there.

Arriving at the sou, they soon had the residents helping out, although they did need to keep Su from using her more esoteric devices on the both of them. Why she wanted to test a lightning-powered re-animation device, like something from a horror film, on Keitaro, no one could guess. Mitsune looked at the somewhat haggard looking pair, and asked, "Where's Donald?"

Before either could speak, Motoko stared off into the distance. "To the roof!" she shouted, and blazed off, the others following her like the tail of a comet.

Getting there, the two ki-adepts stared as they saw four identical signatures rise into the sky, then suddenly seem to explode with power. A distant voice, in four-part harmony, screamed out.

_**"Uiteindelijk Martiaal Vorm: Feniks Meteoor Krach!"**_

Four giant fireballs arched up, then smashed one after the other into the ground. A giant mushroom cloud of flames rose into the sky, before suddenly winking out. The Hinata-sou was violently rocked by shockwaves, as the air...

The air seemed lighter, the gathered residents realised. They looked at Motoko, who looked at her sister. "It is done. The beast has been destroyed."

"But.. What about Johannsen-_sempai_?" Shinobu quavered.

"What's happened to who?" a calm, unflappable voice called out. Haruka stood on the steps leading up to the deck, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. "I just came up from the Teahouse, and I find Naru and Keitaro out cold in the common area. Anyone care to explain what's going on?"

Tsuruko stepped forward. "We will explain soon enough, Urashima-san. But for now, please, take Kanako and find Donald; I fear he has been gravely injured during the battle."

Haruka remained as stoic as ever, as she nodded and went back inside. There was a plaintive cry of "But _Onii-chan_ needs to be taken care of!", before the doors opened and closed, and Haruka headed out, followed by a scowling Kanako.

* * *

Kanako kicked at the ground, sulking. Her beloved _Onii-chan_ was lying unconscious in the common room and needed to be cared for; and she was stuck out here with Haruka, looking for someone.

A pile of rubble over by a tall oak shifted, and a pained groan escaped it. Haruka jogged over, and began to clear it away. It took a minute, but it was found to be Donald.

Both women recoiled at the sight of his injuries. He looked... oddly peaceful, despite his facial injuries. They eased him out, and only then did they see the full extent of his injuries. His left arm was gone below the elbow, both legs were broken, and he was pale from blood loss.

He opened his good eye, and stared blearily at the two. "Did I... Did it work?" he mumbled. Haruka nodded.

"Whatever you did, it worked. Good work, Donald."

"Thanks... Dangerous technique, though..." he mumbled, before going limp as he passed out...

* * *

**To be Concluded...**

* * *


End file.
